Chocolate products, ingredients, processes and uses

Abstract

The present invention provides a new composition obtainable from a plant in the Theobroma genus and the use of that composition as an ingredient in a chocolate product.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for producing an intermediate material for use in chocolate product composition manufacture, the process comprising producing a material derived from a plant in the  Theobroma  genus, the process comprising the steps of:
 a. reducing the size of seeds and/or a portion of seeds of a plant in the  Theobroma  genus optionally in the presence of:
 i. pulp and/or an extract of pulp of a plant in the  Theobroma  genus, and/or 
 ii. a non-pulp and non-seed portion of the fruit of a plant in the  Theobroma  genus, and 
   b. if both of i. and ii. are not present in step a., mixing the product of step a. with either or both of i. and/or ii., wherein the steps a. or b. provide a paste, wherein the total amount of i. and or/ii. in the mixture is produced in step a. or step b. is between 1.0 and 80.0 as a weight percentage of the mixture and the amount of the seeds and/or the portion of seeds in the mixture produced in step a. or step b. is between 20.0 and 99.0 as a weight percentage of the mixture.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of seeds and/or the portion of seeds in the mixture is between 30.0 and 90.0 as a weight percentage of the mixture. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the size reduction involves a step selected from the group consisting of grinding, milling, crushing, grating and/or powdering. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the size reduction involves a reduction to a size of between 10 and 500 μm. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the seeds and/or the portion of seeds are non-roasted and/or are unfermented. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , comprising using a non-pulp and non-seed portion selected from the group consisting of funicle, placenta, endocarp, mesocarp, endocarp, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture is fermented after step b. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the total amount of i. and/or ii. in the mixture is between 10.0 and 70.0 as a weight percentage of the mixture. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the paste has a moisture content of between 0.5 and 80% as a weight percentage of the paste. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture is treated to reduce the polysaccharide content in the mixture. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the treatment comprises treatment with an enzyme to reduce the polysaccharide content and/or increase the content of mono- and/or di-saccharides. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the treatment comprises reducing a content of pectin, hemicellulose, cellulose and/or starch in the mixture. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein the treatment comprises treatment with at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of pectinases, cellulases, xylanases, proteases, and amylases. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the treatment with the at least one enzyme is carried out between 10° C. and 80° C. for between 10 minutes and 72 hours. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the mixture is fermented after step b, and the treatment is carried out prior to, concomitant with, and subsequent to the fermentation. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture is treated to increase the content of mono- and/or di-saccharides in the mixture. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture is dried to form a dried mass. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the dried mass has a moisture content of between 0.1 and 10% as a weight percentage. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the mixture is dried at a temperature of between 50° C. and 200° C. and for a time period of between 1 hour and 48 hours to form the dried mass. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the dried mass is then processed by a step of grinding, milling, crushing, grating and/or powdering.